This paper uses Owens Valley Paiute oral traditions to tell and interpret the Owens Valley Water Wars. Paiute oral traditions detail their identity, historical consciousness, and offer an Indigenous interpretation of the Water Wars. They reframe the time period of the Water Wars, identify new antagonists and considers how the Water Wars affected Paiute women. In the end, this paper demonstrates the importance of using Indigenous systems of knowledge to understand California's history.

Keywords:
California Indian History, Owens Valley Water Wars, Indigenous Knowledge
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2013